


Moonlight and Sunlight

by ultrahotpink



Category: Mercy Street (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 12:32:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7051630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultrahotpink/pseuds/ultrahotpink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jed and Mary reflect on the other while the other sleeps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moonlight and Sunlight

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on a couple of drabbles I posted on tumblr that have been fleshed out and combined into one piece. Let me know what you think. :)

Moonlight

Jed lay on his side. His head propped up on his hand as he watched her sleep. It had become a habit to watch her sleep after making love.

There was something calming about her even breathing, her perfect stillness. The way the moonlight filtered through the lace curtains and reflected off her lovely alabaster skin. He could almost imagine that she was an angel like this. 

Not that he couldn’t when she was awake. Her goodness and kindness were evident in everything she did. When she perfectly anticipated a patient’s needs before they had even thought to ask. In the way that she cared for him, making sure he had enough to eat, letting him rant about whatever injustice he had seen, kissing away his dark moods.

He hadn’t known truly known how much he had missed a woman’s care, until that horrible day she’d found him lying on the floor, and he’d been possessed with the need to feel her close to him, much to his lasting shame. When they’d kissed again, several months later, he’d swept the hair off her face slowly, deliberately, giving her plenty of warning of what he intended, but she didn’t flinch. Instead she’d smiled and pressed her lips to his. Things had progressed rather quickly after that, but they’d been discreet, or rather as discreet as one could in such a small place.

Perhaps he watched her now, because she was always gone when he awoke in the morning. She had always managed to slip out silently before the first hint of dawn. 

His eyes swept over the curve of her waist and his mind flashed to earlier when she had taken the lead, and his hands had rested at her waist as he urged her on. The passion between them had not diminished over the past six months. Indeed, they always seemed to be taking all they could as if…

He shook his head. Looking at her in the still, pale, moonlight brought with it the doubts they dared not speak. Was their coupling frantic because they lived in perpetual fear that this time would be the last time? Tomorrow, would she tell him that they couldn’t do this anymore? Would she come to her senses and realize that he was not half good enough to be near her? What would happen when the war ended? 

He banished the thought from his head. Regardless of tomorrow, they were here together now, and he would cherish it.

 

Sunlight

Mary’s eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the pale pink light filtering in the curtains. She had always loved this time of day, but most especially when she awoke and Jed was lying next to her.

She loved watching the early morning sunlight filter across his handsome face. How his arms rested above his head and cradled his pillow as though he were a small child.

It was harder to observe him when he was awake. He was so perceptive and seemed to know exactly when she sought to catch him in an unguarded moment. Not that he wasn’t open and forthright when they were here. Here his intentions were always clear.

When he was on the hospital floor, he was grave, and serious, and occasionally playful, but mostly closed. It was one thing for others to know of their relationship. Indeed, how could they have hid it in such close quarters with the other staff and patients, but it was another thing to be indiscreet. To allow their nights together to affect their days and their work would have crossed a line. 

Now he was peaceful. Here in his bed earthly troubles seemed not to plague him. He was simply beside her, resting peacefully. Soothing her soul like a balm with his steady breathing and clam presence.

He had soothed her in other ways of course. Indeed, she could hardly keep from blushing to think of the ways they had provoked each other to a fevered pitch until they had made each other so unspeakably still and happy. 

But now, in the quiet first light, she couldn’t help but feel the flow of questions. How would she have made it through this war without him? What would happen if he decided they should stop? What would happen when the war ended? If she jostled the bed slightly, would he wake and make her forget all of her fears?

She smiled, for she knew the answer to her last question. If she woke him she need only to look at him and he would know her need. But it was selfish of course to wake him when he worked very hard and deserved his rest.

The light in the room grew more pronounced and she knew she could only tarry a few moments longer, before she would have to dress and creep back to her room. 

But for the present, she would be content in memorizing this moment.

**Author's Note:**

> I have follow up piece to this that's nearly done. If anyone is interested, let me know. If you've enjoyed this, please feel free to leave a comment of kudos!


End file.
